


Art Memories

by Just_a_simple_trash_can



Series: Art Thief Au [3]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Angst, Art Thief AU, Art thief Auguste, Detective Nik, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentions of the Regent, past Aimeric/Jord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 12:43:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13904265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_simple_trash_can/pseuds/Just_a_simple_trash_can
Summary: Auguste and Laurent DeVere have finally been taken into police custody, but things are not what they seem and it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out.





	Art Memories

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final part of the Art Thief AU. I enjoyed writing this so much and I can’t wait to do something like it again. Hope you enjoy!   
> Find me on Tumblr at just-a-simple-trash-can

_“It would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Auguste whispered in Nik’s ear, wrapping his arms around him. “To spend the rest of our lives here? Like this? No more running. Just being able to drink champagne and relax and make love-” Nik cupped his cheek and kissed him. Auguste let out a laugh and kissed him back, sliding into his lap and caressing his face. “I love you.”_

_“I-”_  
***  
“Nik, wake up. We need to talk.” Nikandros sat up and ran his fingers through his hair, grabbing his empty cup of coffee as he did. He looked inside of it and sighed, throwing it into a nearby trash can.

“I’m running on a half hour of sleep and about six cups of coffee,” he mumbled. He turned toward his friend and waved his hands. “Shoot.” Damen gave him a sharp look causing Nik to sigh. He knew what Damen was going to ask and he didn’t want anything to do with it. They hadn’t spoken since Auguste’s confession in Nik’s apartment and Nik was partially hoping that Damen had forgotten about it.

“What was your relationship with DeVere?” Damn it. Nik, instead of answering, grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. He wasn’t having that conversation.

“Speaking of which, I need to go talk to him.” As he walked off, Damen grabbed his arm.

“Listen. I kept my mouth shut about you fucking DeVere and letting him live with you. The least you could do is tell me what was going on between the two of you.” The worst thing about Damen is that he knew Nikandros too well. Nik couldn’t lie to him. Not anymore.

“There wasn’t- There isn’t anything going on between us. You heard him. He was using me. Dumont said that he would manipulate us and he did. He-” Nik stopped himself before he said something that would damage him. “I need to go talk to him. I have a theory and if I’m right, we’ll have everything we need to put him away.”

“After everything that I witnessed, I can’t believe that there wasn’t anything between you two.”

“Really?” Nik was talking before he could stop himself. “So you’re the expert in relationships now, huh? Is the mayor enjoying his mistress?” Damen grabbed Nik by his collar and brought their faces together.

“He is not the mayor and she is not a mistress.”

“Then what would you call them? He’s going to win the election and Jokaste is going to be right by his side. Don’t forget that she still cheated on you.”

“Believe me. I didn’t forget.” He shook his head and pushed Nik away. “You know what. Here” Damen handed Nik the file on the DeVere’s. “Go fuck him again for all I care. Do what you want. I tried to keep you from this case, but you just can’t ignore a pretty face, can you?” As he walked away, Nik grabbed a few more papers from his desk before walking down to the interrogation rooms.

DeVere sat on one side of the table, looking like a beautiful disaster. His usually finely brushed hair was in tangles and framing his face, which was red from either shame or embarrassment. His eyes were puffy and red, like he had just been crying.

“A shadow of your former self, huh?” Auguste sat up, looking at Nik. There was a desperate look in his eyes. Nik, out of habit, rubbed his shoulder where the bullet had pierced his skin.

“You're here. You’re okay.” He put a hand over his mouth. “You're alright.” The tone of his voice sounded sincere, but Nik couldn’t be sure anymore.

“You’re not going to try that shit again.”

“Nik. Baby, please-”

“It’s Detective Delfeur.”

“There’s still so much you don’t know. You have to believe me. There’s more to this than you could ever believe.” Nik sat down in front of him, pushing the file in his direction.

“Then why don’t you start explaining?” Auguste opened his mouth, but nothing came out. “I didn’t think so.”

“You have to talk to Nicaise.” Nik raised an eyebrow. “You won’t believe me, so talk to Nicaise.”

“We’re looking for him, too. Dumont is pissed that some twenty year old rookie tricked him. There’s a warrant out for his arrest and it’s only a matter of time before we catch him.”

“Laurent and I raised him. He’s smart. He won’t just give himself up.”

“We’ve already got the rest of your men. We are only missing Nicaise and something tells me that he’s going to walk right into this station and turn himself in.”  
***  
“Do any of you ever knock or is breaking and entering just your style?” Nicaise didn’t have the same mannerisms that Auguste and Laurent did. His feet were perched on Nik’s coffee table and he was slouching on the couch, using one of Nik’s ties as a toy for Mittens.

“It’s your fault that you apartment is easy to break into.” His voice also wasn’t as smooth or charming.

“I’m not going to have this fight.” Nik pulled out his handcuffs and pulled Nicaise to his feet. “You’re an adult and I can take you in for breaking and entering. You and the DeVere’s can sit together and try to figure out your next lie.”

“I’m the only one who can help Auguste and Laurent, so I would suggest you letting me go.”

“Oh no. I am not falling for this shit again.” Nicaise broke out of Nik’s grip and turned to face him.

“You have to listen to me. This is so much bigger than you could ever think.” Nik pinched the bridge of his nose and shrugged.

“Fine. Fuck it. What else do I have to lose?” Nik grabbed a beer from his fridge and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Start. I want you out of here as soon as possible. I’m not risking anyone finding out that you’re here too.”

“What, you think “Special Agent” Dumont is going to put me in handcuffs? I don’t think so.” Nik’s eyes widened. Nicaise had a small, satisfied smirk on his lips and he tossed the tie to Mittens, who fell on the ground trying to catch it.

“What was with the sarcasm? Is there something you know about Dumont?” Nicaise let out a laugh. He leaned back against the couch and looked directly at Nikandros, resting his head on his hand.

“How much do you know about Dumont’s connection to the DeVere’s?”

“He’s been looking for them for almost ten years. He’s been hunting Auguste since the very beginning.”

“Is that what he told you or what Auguste told you?”

“A mixture of both. What do you know?”

“Do you know Aimeric Beauchêne?”

“Wait.” Nik stood up straight. “Aimeric? As in the son of-”

“Guion? The same. And I’m sure you know who Guion is.”

“He was working with Richard DeVere.”

“And a few other men, but he is the one man that was closest to Auguste and Laurent’s uncle.”

“I remember that. I read through that when I made the arrest, but we had nothing to charge Guion on and he didn’t seem to be associated with the art thieving.”

“That’s the problem. That’s what you didn’t realize. This is so much bigger than you think. Yes, Auguste and Laurent were originally apart of it, but they thought they got away.”

“They thought? What does that mean?” Nicaise smirk fell and his eyes drifted away from Nikandros.

“You found paintings here, didn’t you? Along with the locations of the other paintings? You know Auguste. You know how smart that he is. Do you really think that he would leave all the evidence in plain sight?” Nicaise pulled out a crumpled letter from his pocket and handed it over to Nik. “He left me this the night before he ran from you.” Nik took the letter and started reading it as Nicaise continued talking. “He realized what was happening at the last minute and got worried that you would get hurt because of it. The letter doesn’t explain everything so I’ve been doing my own research and I found out something interesting. The masterminds are Richard and Guion, but there’s one more that we don’t know about. He seems to be staying in the shadows, but he’s still involved.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“I don’t know. My only theory is that some kind of publicity stunt is going down. Richard and Guion are both rich men, so we can assume that the third is someone equally rich or just as powerful.” Nik pocketed the letter and sighed.

“So what should we do?”

“I don’t know. Just keep Auguste and Laurent safe. One or both of them will be killed if we’re not careful. I know you still care about Auguste.” There was a small pain in Nik’s chest that he did his best to ignore.

“What does Aimeric have to do with this?”

“Jord and him had a fling. It happened around the time Auguste started getting investigated for the art crimes. Apparently, Aimeric was using him to try to get information on Auguste. There was a huge fight and Aimeric disappeared off the face of the earth. You do the math.”

“Jord is after Auguste because he thinks that it’ll get Aimeric back?”

“Maybe. Keep thinking.” Nik thought about everything that Nicaise had just told him.

“Aimeric is working under their uncle.” Nicaise smiled.

“Bingo. Dumont should have lost his job after giving vital information to someone that wasn’t involved in the investigation, but he didn’t. I think sending Auguste and Laurent to prison will ensure that he keeps his job.”

“Jord was focused on Auguste’s case and Richard sent Aimeric in as an informant to try and get all the information he could no matter what it took. Even if it meant that he would have to pretend to be in love with someone.”

“Auguste and Laurent are still their uncle’s pawns and you’re the only one who can help them. I don’t know everything, but this plan ends with Auguste and Laurent going to prison despite them being them victims. Their uncle is trying to punish them for the crimes that he’s committing. He’s a dangerous man that needs to be stopped.” Nik quickly wrote everything down then wrote down all of his information before handing it to Nicaise.

“You’re going to be my right hand man until all of this blows over. Call me if you figure out anything that could help them.”

“So you do still care about him.” Nikandros quickly changed the subject.

“I’m going to talk to Guion. Maybe I can convince him to squeal on the last man.”

“You won’t have much trouble with that. Guion’s powerful, but he’s a coward.”

“I’m trusting you, kid. Don’t let me down.”  
***  
“What can I help you with, Officer?” Nik walked in the foyer and looked around as Guion closed the front door. Beauchêne was an older, balding gentleman with a slight nervousness to his voice. Nik made a mental note of it.

“Detective, actually. I wanted to ask you a few questions.”

“Of course. Can I get you something to drink?”

“I don’t drink while I’m working.”

“There’s nothing wrong with relaxing every once in a while. Go ahead and wait for me in my study. I’ll get us some scotch.” Nikandros walked up the stairs, observing the paintings and pictures on the wall. There was one of Guion standing with Richard DeVere. He took a few quick pictures before reaching the top of the stairs. After making sure the area was empty, he began looking through each of the rooms. Most of the doors were locked.

He eventually found Guion’s office and snuck in, carefully closing the door behind him. There were bookcases on either side of the room. In the middle was a large desk almost completely covered in files and papers. After checking through the drawers, most of them also locked, he looked through the papers. His eyes widened as he picked up one of the files. The picture connected to it was of one of the missing paintings. On the back was a small note written in messy French. Nik took a picture of it before returning everything to its proper place.

Guion was walking up the stairs as Nik walked out of the office. Nik pretended to be admiring one of the paintings on the wall.

“Quite the home you have here,” Nik said, taking one of the glasses from Guion.

“Thank you. It’s been in my family for years.” Guion waved his hand and opened one of the doors further down the hall. “So what did you want to ask me, detective?”

“I am currently investigating the DeVere brothers and I was curious about your connections with them.” Guion suddenly tensed up and the grip on his glass tightened.

“I can’t say that there is one.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe considering the fact that it was your son who slept with an agent who also just so happened to be investigating the DeVere’s.”

“I don’t like the accusatory sound of your voice, detective.”

“It’s just a simple question. What do you know about the DeVere’s?

“I think you should leave.”

“Mr. Beauchêne, it’s just a simple question.”

“Get out of my house.” Nik set his untouched drink onto the desk and stood up.

“My apologies. I’ll escort myself out. Have a good day.” Nik walked out of the office and back downstairs. As he opened the front door, he saw a flash of brown hair and heard a voice. He slowly closed the door and followed the voice down the hallway next to the staircase. Pressing himself against the wall, Nik leaned his head of the direction of the voice.

“I’m going to try things with Jord again,” a young male voice said. “If I’m lucky, I can fix things.” Nik pulled out his phone and started recording the conversation. “I’m not going to get involved with the DeVere’s again. They ruined my chances with Jord in the first place. I’m going to fix it and you aren’t stopping me. I have to go. There’s a cop car outside and I’m not about to talk to one. I’m not getting in the middle of your business again. I am completely out once Auguste and Laurent join you in there.” Nik saved the recording and walked back into the hallway. As he got into his car, he send the recording to Pallas.

5:23 PM To Pallas: Have Dumont listen to this. Tell me what he says. I may be onto something.  
***  
“Damen, we need to talk.” Nik pressed his hand to his mouth as he slowed to a stop.

“I’m a little busy right now. Make it quick.”

“Guion Beauchêne. What do you know about him?”

“He worked with Richard DeVere, didn’t he?”

“His son slept with Agent Dumont in an attempt to get more information on the DeVere’s. He was an informant just like Nicaise was.”

“So the Uncle has been working against them since the beginning?”

“Exactly. I want to meet up tomorrow when you have the time. I think I overheard the son talking on the phone with someone. He’s going to try to patch things up with Jord.”

“To get more information on the DeVere’s?”

“I don’t know, but we cannot leave Jord alone at any time. He spilled secrets once and he may do it again. And one more thing. The last thing that’s said in the recording is something about being completely out “once Auguste and Laurent join you.”

“He was talking to someone in prison.” Nik quickly switched lanes as a car sped by him. A patrol car soon followed.

“My bet is on the uncle. I think Beauchêne, father and son, are still working with him.”

“Your voicemail mentioned a publicity stunt. What is that about?”

“Richard DeVere and Guion Beauchêne are working together, but they are also working with one other person.” Nik pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. “We just need to figure out who it is.”

“What is your theory, Nik? What aren’t you telling me?”

“I think the DeVere’s were framed.”

“Framed?”

“Set up actually. They committed the crimes, but they were apart of a bigger scheme. They’re pawns in someone’s game.”

“Their uncle’s.” Nik stepped out of his car and walked toward the elevator.

“Exactly. Think about how much coverage the DeVere’s have been getting. Their thefts, their deaths, their arrest. They’re the biggest thing in the news. Think about how much support someone would get if they promised that the DeVere’s would be arrested.”

“Someone like who?”

“I don’t know yet. Someone who needs the publicity for something big.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“I’ll explain everything tomorrow when I get to the station.” Nik leaned against the wall of the elevator, looking up at the ceiling. “Speaking of publicity, how is Kastor’s campaign?”

“I watched his speech last night when I couldn’t sleep. He’s my brother, but even I can admit that he’s full of shit.”

“It took you that long to realize it?” The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Nik walked out and came face to face with the person standing outside of his apartment. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pretty face. “Son of a bitch.”

“What’s wrong?” Nik sneered and clenched his jaw.

“Your ex fucking girlfriend. I’ll call you back.” Nik shoved his phone into his pocket and ran his fingers through his hair. “You are one of the last people that I want to see.” Jokaste crossed her arms over her chest and clicked her tongue. She looked almost exactly the same as she had during the breakup. The only difference was the obvious “mayor's mistress” outfit.

“Oh?” she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “And who are the others?”

“Surprisingly, two other blondes with blue eyes. What do you want?” Jokaste sighed, uncrossing her arms and rubbing them instead.

“I need to talk to you.”

“This sounds like a Damen problem.”

“It’s about Kastor.”

“This is definitely a Damen problem.”

“I can’t...talk to Damen right now.”

“Still feeling guilty about cheating on him? With Kastor of all people?”

“Nikandros, this isn’t about me right now. This is about saving a life or protecting someone. I- I don’t know.” As much as Nik hated Jokaste, he wasn’t about to ignore a possible crime.

“Come inside.” Nik unlocked the door and closed it after Jokaste had walked in. Nik sat on the couch while Jokaste paced aimlessly.

“I think Kastor is involved in something big. He’s killed someone or he’s going to kill someone or he’s framing someone for something.”

“Where did you get all this from?”

“I know that he’s focusing on his campaign right now, but he’s been sneaking out a lot or he’s on the phone for hours at a time and he never tells me who he’s talking to. I listened in to one of his calls once and he mentioned something about setting someone up and said it would help his campaign.”

“Did you hear any names?”

“Something that started with a D. I couldn’t understand it.”

“DeVere?”

“Maybe. It was something like that.” Nikandros pursed his lips and sighed. If his hunch was right, his best friend was going to be pissed.

“Would be able to convince you to give me a formal statement at the station? I think you could help me with a case that I’m investigating.” Jokaste nervously played with her hands.

“I don’t know if I can do that to Kastor.”

“You can stay here tonight and I’ll put you up at a hotel. He won’t be able to hurt you. Jokaste, you could save the live of an innocent man.”

“Okay. Whatever I can do to help.”  
***  
Nik’s phone started ringing at around three in the morning. He answered it as quickly as he could to avoid waking up Jokaste. He didn’t get a word in before Pallas was talking.

“Nik. We need you down at the station now. DeVere is missing.” Nik immediately pulled himself out of bed and started to get dressed.

“Which one?”

“Laurent. Auguste’s holding cell has been tampered with. He’s unconscious and it looks like he’s been stabbed. We’re trying to get the door open now. Get down here.” Nik ran out of his bedroom and out the front door.

The station was in chaos when Nik drove up. He parked his car on the street in front of the building and ran to the ambulance where Auguste was getting carried in. Before he could talk to Auguste or the paramedics, someone called him over. Nik quickly grabbed the shoulder of one of the passing officers and whispered an order to him before pulling away and walking over to Damen and Pallas.

“Okay,” he started. “What the fuck happened here?” Two other officers being carried out on stretchers passed by them.

“From what we can figure out,” Damen started. “Someone or a group of people came in and took down the only two officers in the building. Auguste was stabbed and hit over the head with something. The lock on his cell was then broken and Laurent was taken out of his cell. There’s blood in his cell so there may have been a struggle. Crime scene investigation is still in there.”

“Any suspects?”

“Son of a bitch!” Special Agent Dumont yelled, running out of the station. Nikandros couldn’t help but smirk. Dumont was a pain in the ass and it was exactly what he deserved. “I want officers on every corner of the city. If DeVere gets away, it is on all of you.” Nik waited until Dumont got into his car before turning to Damen.

“We need to talk.”

“This isn’t the time, Nik. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.” Damen and Pallas started walking away.

“It’s about Kastor.” Damen stopped. “Jokaste came by my apartment and-”

“Wait. You’re listening to Jokaste now?”

“I know how it sounds, but you have to hear me out. Just give me five minutes.”

“I’ll go with Berenger,” Pallas said. “You two can follow us when you’re ready.” Damen pulled Nik to a secluded area behind the station and leaned against the wall. Nik stood across from him with his hands in his pockets.

“I think Kastor is involved with the scheme that Richard DeVere and Guion Beauchêne are a part of.”

“Nik-”

“No, Damen, think about it. We thought that it was going to be someone who was using the DeVere’s for a publicity stunt. I watched one of Kastor’s interviews and he promised that as mayor, he would put the DeVere’s behind bars. A promise like that would be enough to win him the election. I know it’s hard to believe Jokaste, but she knows him best and she’s smart enough not to lie to a cop.”

“So you’re accusing my brother of being an art thief.”

“I am saying that there is a possibility that he is using the DeVere’s to get into office by working with their uncle.” Damen shook his head and pushed himself off the wall.

“No, I get it. This is because you’re in love with Auguste. That’s why you’re so keen on trying to make sure he’s innocent.”

“I know that he’s a criminal, Damen,” Nik hissed out. “And would you shut up? The whole department doesn’t need to hear you.”

“So you’re not denying that you’re actually in love with him.”

“Damen, you are my best friend and you need to trust me. I care about my job and he is not worth losing it.”

“No, but you are okay with fucking a criminal and letting him live in your apartment.”

“How many times to I have to tell you that it wasn’t like that?”

“We made a promise to each other after the first time we made that mistake, we weren’t going to be alone with them again. How many times have you fucked Auguste since then?”

“Damen, that is not important right now.”

“No, it is important. I am lying to everyone for you, Nik, and I am not about to continue to let you fuck a criminal.”

“Would you shut it? Don’t forget that you did the same thing with Laurent. I’m not the only one who made a mistake here.”

“Nikandros,” Rocher said, peering over the wall. “Makedon wants you to go to the hospital with DeVere to keep an eye on him. Damen, you’re with Dumont.”

“We’ll finish this later,” Damen snapped before storming off. Nik walked to the ambulance and jumped into the back next to one of the paramedics. Auguste was still unconscious on the stretcher.

“What are his chances?” Nik asked.

“Well,” the paramedic responded. “He has a concussion and some internal bleeding from the stab wound. It’s not the worst we’ve ever seen. He’ll be fine.”   
***  
“You talked to Nicaise.” Nik nodded and leaned against the wall. “So you believe me, right?” Auguste sat up in his bed, flinching lightly. It was good to see that he was awake. He was unconscious for around five hours and Nik never left his side. He wasn’t really sure what that meant for them.

“I need you to translate something for me,” Nik said, walking closer to the bed. “You know French, right?”

“I was raised there. I’m still relatively fluent.” Nik took out his phone and opened the picture with the messy French writing.

“I found this in Guion’s study.” Auguste took the phone from Nik’s hands.

“Guion Beauchêne?” He snorted. “He was always shit at French.”

“So you knew him?”

“He was a friend of my uncle’s.” Auguste looked closely at the message again. “Dernière peinture nécessaire pour le vol. Guion was also shit at French. Loosely, it says that the painting was the last one needed for the theft. I don’t know what that means, though.”

“This painting went missing a week before we brought you into custody. I think this was the last one your uncle and Guion needed to get you put in prison. This is the last one that went missing. The question is, how did they know you were going to steal it?”

“You talked to Nicaise, right?” Nik nodded and leaned against the wall. “So you read the letter.”

“I have a few times. I just don’t get everything.”

“I never lied to you, Nikandros. I do have very strong feelings for you. The night your apartment was shot at, Govart was looking for me, not you. A few days later, there was a letter addressed to me from my uncle. If I didn’t do what he wanted, he was going to hurt you. I couldn’t risk that, so I stole the painting. I don’t know why he wanted me to, but I did. I also stored the paintings in my room like I was ordered to. Tell me, Nik. Did you find any paintings at the locations you found in my drawer?”

“You planted those.”

“I had to. Laurent and I put all the paintings we stole into one storage locker. The night we left, we were going to make sure that they were still there, but you caught us before we could. They’re probably long gone by now.”

“Your uncle is in prison. How could he be making sure that he gets the paintings?” Auguste shrugged.

“Govart? The son of a bitch already gave me a concussion. What’s stopping him from being a thief?”

“Because you know as well as I do that he’s an idiot.”

“Guion then. You said that he may be involved. He’s the only other person I can think of.”

“We’re suspecting that there might be a third man in this operation. Does the name Kastor Akielon sound familiar to you?” Auguste’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I do know him. He’s got a big stick up his ass, but I know him.”

“Do you think he might be working with your uncle?”

“Maybe. My uncle is manipulative. He can convince people to do whatever he wants. Isn’t Akielon running for mayor?”

“He is.”

“So you believe me, then?” Auguste sat up in his bed, flinching again. “We agree on everything. You know what my uncle is planning.”

“That doesn’t stop the fact that you’re a criminal,” Nik mumbled in response. Auguste sighed.

“So why are you here?”

“To get information and to hear your side of the story.”

“So that’s it. My hearing is in a week. I’m going to prison.”

“There’s nothing I can do. You still stole the art pieces and there’s no proving that you were set up. If we’re lucky and we do arrest Kastor and Guion, I can say that you helped us bring them in and maybe we can make a deal.”

“A deal? I’m thirty-five. I’ve got a list of charges a mile long. Any deal that I can make won’t get me out of prison until I’m sixty.”

“I don’t know what you want me to do, Auguste!” Auguste sat up, slamming his hands on the bed. The handcuff on his wrist hit the metal bar on the side of the bed.

“Let me go.”

“You know damn well I can’t do that.”

“Then fuck you. Get out. If you’re not going to help me, then don’t.”

“Auguste, I do want to help you.” Nik sat down next to Auguste, looking him in the eyes. “This isn’t going to be easy, but I do want to help you.” Auguste’s gaze softened and he looked away. Nik put a hand on his cheek and lifted his face.

“Is anyone waiting outside?”

“I’m the only one here.”

“Kiss me.” Just as Nik moved to, Damen walked in.

“Nik, we need to talk,” Damen said, a slight hiss to his voice.

“I’ll be right out,” Nik replied. Damen didn’t leave the room. “Fine.” He looked at Auguste and without thinking, ran his thumb along his jaw. Auguste gave him a small smile that stayed on his lips as Nik walked out. Damen closed the door behind him and clenched his jaw.

“You were right.”

“About?”

“Everything. When I went to visit Kastor last night, I found two of the missing paintings hidden in his office and he tried to poison my drink. I have a couple of officers taking him into custody.”

“I’m sorry, Damen.” Nik put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Damen shook his head.

“I’m not going to let my feelings affect the case. I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I would have acted the same way.” Nik peered into Auguste’s room. “And speaking of brothers-”

“We still have nothing on Laurent. The blood we found in his cell was from two different people. It looks like Laurent tried to fight off his attacker and got a good hit. We just have to identify whose blood it is.”

“Any suspects?”

“That’s what I’m going to ask Kastor. He knows more than he lets on. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going back to Guion Beauchêne’s house. I think he’s hiding something, but I don’t know what. I'm going to try talking to the son, too. I think he’s involved in this more than we originally thought.”

“Just be careful.”

“I will.”  
***  
Laurent closed his eyes as the basement door opened, filling the room with a bright light.

“Looks like the princess is awake,” Govart called out, slamming the door closed behind him and walking over to Laurent.

“I didn’t know that my uncle needed a mutt to do all of his dirty work,” Laurent snorted back, earning himself a punch in the face. He spit the blood out of his mouth and onto Govart’s shoes. “So what’s the plan? You don’t get much out of holding me hostage, do you? It’s not like anyone is going to pay a ransom.” Govart pulled out a gun and pressed it to the side of Laurent’s head.

“No, but you’re not any use to me alive.”

“You couldn’t break me out of a holding cell without getting injured yourself.”

“I would watch my mouth if I were you, princess.”

“What do you get out of Auguste and I going to jail? My uncle is hardly going to keep someone as useless as you around.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” The gun was cocked and just as Govart moved to pull the trigger, there was a gunshot. Laurent saw blood stain pool on Govart’s shirt before he fell to the ground. Nicaise stood behind him with his own gun.

“It took you long enough,” Laurent hissed out.

“I’m not the one tied up in a basement,” Nicaise replied, kneeling behind the chair and cutting Laurent loose. “Let’s go. Your boyfriend is looking for you.”

“Boyfriend? Do you mean Akielon?”

“You said it, not me. Let’s go.” Laurent stood up and immediately stumbled. Nicaise caught him before he could hit the ground and sighed. “Really?”

“My ankle is sprained, you little shit. Just get me out of here.” Nicaise wrapped Laurent’s arm around his shoulder and started to help him out of the basement. “Where are we anyway? How did you find me?”

“We’re at Beauchêne’s house and I made a guess. There are only a few places where you could be kept and not be heard.” As they walked outside, several police cars parked in front of the manor. Nikandros stepped out of his car and ran over to the pair.

“You-” he started. “This- Pallas! Call an ambulance!”

“My kidnapper is in the basement with a gunshot wound,” Laurent said. “Where is my brother?”

“He’s in the hospital. He’s okay. Can you walk?”

“Barely.” Rocher walked over with a paramedic. “And thank you, Nikandros. For everything.” The pair were lead into an ambulance and Nikandros kicked the front door open followed by several officers. Nicaise looked at Laurent, prepared to make an escape, only to be stopped by Laurent shaking his head. Nicaise tilted his head to the side and Laurent mouthed, “Not now.”

Damen was in the waiting room when the pair arrived. He took them both into custody and lead them to Auguste’s room.

“I have to admit, detective,” Laurent whispered. “I was wrong about you.”

“Seems like you two are wrong about a lot of things,” Damen replied. “But I’m glad to see that you’re alive, Laurent.”  
***  
“This is, by far, the strangest case I’ve ever had to deal with.” Makedon leaned back in his chair and looked at his detectives. “But you handed it just as I thought you would. I knew it was a good idea to have the two of you on this case. I want to thank you on a job well done.”

“Thank you, sir,” Damen said, crossing his legs. “This case certainly got more interesting, but everything is dealt with. We’re just lucky that no one got away.”

“What about the DeVere’s?” Nik asked. “What’s going to happen to them?”

“That’s where things gets more complicated,” Makedon answered with a sigh. “I spoke with Mayor Vannes D’Angelo and the district attorney. All charges against the DeVere’s have been dropped.”

“What?!”

“Thanks to the two of them, Richard DeVere has been put in prison for life with no possibility of parole. Guion Beauchêne and Kastor Akielon have joined him. The DeVere’s have also returned the stolen paintings.” The detectives looked at their captain in confusion. “The ones they had in their custody, anyway. The others are still being searched for, but the two of them have told us everything we need to know. They were being set up and their lives were being threatened. So were yours.”

“Ours?” Damen asked. “As in mine and Nik’s.”

“I don’t know what you two did, but Richard DeVere threatened your lives and the two of them did what they could to protect you. You’re lucky to be alive and I’m glad you are.”

“So the mayor is just dropping all charges against Auguste and Laurent?” Nik asked. “After all the work we put in trying to catch them?”

“They were bait. They were told what to steal and when to steal it. Richard DeVere knew that Auguste was going to continue his work. He’s been watching the brothers since the beginning. Their lives were being threatened and they did what they were told. Believe me, I wanted to put them in prison, but the DA agreed with her. If it helps, they are both banned from any and all museums in Akielos and Vere. If they are even seen within twenty feet of one, they will be sent straight to prison. That’s the one rule that they have to follow. Richard DeVere was wanted on several counts of endangerment to a child, assault, theft, fraud, murder, and kidnapping. Kastor Akielon is in for theft, possession of stolen property, and attempted murder. Guion Beauchêne is in for possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a theft, and kidnapping. If it wasn’t for the DeVere brothers, these men would still be on the streets and terrorizing our town. I think we owe it to Auguste and Laurent. The two of you are dismissed. Thank you for all your work.”

Nikandros walked back to his desk where a letter was sitting. The only thing inside was a picture of a pier with a time written on the back.  
***  
 _8:00 PM_

Nik walked out of his car and over to the docks where a blonde wearing a dark blue trench coat was waiting.

“I don’t think you could have picked a more ominous place!” Nik yelled as he walked over. Auguste turned his head with a smile on his face.

“The more ominous, the better. I had to make sure we were alone.”

“The charges against you were dropped. You’re a free man.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to be accepted into society. People don’t seem to trust me very much.”

“I wonder why.” Auguste put a gentle hand on the detective’s shoulder. Nik didn’t push it away. “There’s still a few things that I don’t understand.”

“That’s why I invited you out here. What do you want to know?”

“You knew that the paintings couldn’t be sold. So why did you steal them?”

“We were never in it for the money. It was all for the thrill and excitement. The money Laurent and I have is inheritance from our father that I accessed without my uncle knowing.”

“How do you know the mayor?”

“Vannes was a shoulder to cry on after we lost our parents. She was a close friend of our father and she knew just about everything. I think that’s why she dropped our charges. Though Laurent and I are in a tough spot. We’re on thin ice. Even the smallest of crimes will get us into prison. Vannes is a cruel, but fair mayor.”

“Just one more thing.”

“What is it?” There were a hundred things Nik could have asked in that moment. He still had so many questions, but none of them came to mind. It was almost as if he was afraid to hear the answer.

“Are you staying?” Silence fell between the two of them.

“I thought you might ask that,” Auguste answered with a dry laugh. He brushed the bangs out of his face. “I have a negative impact on your life and I don’t-” Before Auguste could finish, Nik leaned down and pressed their lips together. He backed away, but stayed close enough to kiss Auguste again.

“You don’t have to protect me. That was never an obligation of yours.”

“My uncle threatened your life. I didn’t want to be the reason that you died.”

“And you weren’t. I’m still here. I’m okay. We’re both okay. I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Nikandros, I…” There was another small kiss. Auguste wrapped his arms around Nik’s neck and pulled him close. “I think...I think I could very easily fall in love with you.”

“Come back home. You have nothing to be afraid of anymore. Neither of us do.” Auguste cupped Nik’s face and kissed him again.

“There’s nothing that I want more.”  
***  
 _Six months later_

“You're home early.” Nik raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend’s surprise. Auguste’s hair was in a messy ponytail and he wasn’t wearing the same outfit Nik had seen him in that morning.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I just had to finish some paperwork. Damen and Pallas handled the hit and run while I stayed at the station. Is something wrong?”

“No. Everything is fine.” Auguste kissed Nik’s cheek and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the balcony. “I just need you to stay out here until I come get you.”

“Is there someone else here?”

“Of course not. I just need a few minutes to finish cleaning up.” Auguste leaned up and kissed his boyfriend before going back inside. Nik faintly heard the balcony door lock. He sighed and leaned against the gate, checking emails on his phone as he waited.

Auguste opened the door back up a few minutes later and pulled him inside. Nik noticed that he smelled of roses.

“What exactly did you do today?” Nik asked. They stood outside of Nik’s bedroom where Auguste grabbed both of Nik’s hands and smiled up at him.

“I am aware that I have been somewhat of a pain since we’ve met and I wanted to apologize for it.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Just for once, let me spoil you. I wasn’t finished getting everything ready, so I’ll let you relax while I finish things.”

“What are you planning, Auguste?”

“Just trust me, baby.” Auguste opened the door, revealing a rose petal covered bed surrounded by a few dozen lit candles. “Dinner is in the oven, but I haven’t started dessert yet. I have a nice bottle of wine and a movie lineup just for you. If there’s anything else you need, just tell me.” Nik didn’t know what to say, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

“I love you.” Auguste stopped and flushed.

“You...I love you too.” Nik wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and kissed him. Auguste ran his fingers through Nik’s hair, pulling him closer. Nik gently bit his bottom lip before backing away and kissing his forehead.

“Don’t take too long.” Auguste pulled Nik into another small kiss and backed away, giving him a wink. Nikandros walked into his room and noticed that Mittens had snuck by them and was laying in the middle of the rose petal covered bed, chewing on them. Rosco sat at the end of the bed asleep in a bed Auguste had ordered for him. Nik was alive and he had everything he could ever want. Even after everything that had happened, Nik couldn’t think of anything he wanted more.


End file.
